Cero

The mid-winter rain poured heavy upon the city streets. A young man holding a drenched newspaper over his head stops at a cross-walk, his eyes fixated on the neon red human as cars wheeze by him.

As the red turned green, and the vehicles paused their engines, the young man crossed the road. Entering the apartment complex, looking across at the rusty safety-railing and barely standing supports of the building.

he walked past his neighbour's window; the TV screen blaring "Those immigrants are ruining our country! they are hurting the white race--we must hold the line and stick toget--"

Closing the door behind him his eyes traced upon an old dusty picture; he could still hear his mother's voice trying to wake him up from his numeral nightmares. 'wake up, josh. it's okay. mum is here.'

His apartment was small and decrepit, his roof leaking water, the wall hiding insects. But it was home.

About an hour or so passed since he had gotten home, his neighbour still watching tv--as made clear by the paper-thin walls. the sound of knocking filled the room, breaking Josh's concentration on his study.

Opening the door, his eyes were laid upon a grumpy old man, holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

'Mr Booker, late on your rent again I see.'

Josh's face squinted softly, too busy working on an explanation to listen.

'Mr 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘳. I'm evicting you. you have twenty-eight days.'

'W-wait what?' Josh replied in confusion, adjusting his glasses before actually looking at the paper, reading in bold 🄽🄾🅃🄸🄲🄴 🄾🄵 🄴🅅🄸🄲🅃🄸🄾🄽.

'Twenty-eight days, Mr Booker.'

The landlord made it apparent this was no discussion, as he quickly walked off leaving the paper on the floor.

Leaning against the glass door leading out to the balcony, Josh held his head between his hands. It was the third apartment this year he was to be evicted from. His nose reddened, preparing for the tears of desperation to come.

The tension shattered to a light meowing from outside. A black cat whose fur was dry. it was surprisingly well-groomed to be just another street cat. Sliding the door open, Josh had allowed his companion to enter the room, its eyes surveying it for danger before it hopped gracefully onto the bright red sofa.

Making his way to the kitchen, Josh opened a can of old tuna and sat it on the floor, the black cat; however, seemed to not care much.

Bellowing in the darkroom, Josh fell asleep, sitting against the wall with a stranger's cat in his lap.

.

.

.

'I fucking paid you, so you do as I fucking say!'

'I'm not some fucking slave! I'm an adu--'

A loud bang hit the wall Josh was leaning on, causing him to wake from his slumber to the shouts of his rowdy neighbours.

Neighbours . . . Josh would think; after all, he only has one. And last he checked it was an old fat guy without a wife. His eyes darted across the room looking for the cat as he rose and went outside greeted by the loud rain.

Nonchalantly knocking on his neighbour's door wondering what all this fuss is about, Josh was still half asleep. The door creaked open . . . His eyes quickly widened in horror, his mouth gaped in awe at the scene. A woman bleeding on the floor, a bottle of beer scattered across the floor, and in the midst of it all; his adoring neighbour.

'Woit! Oi can explain!' The man shouted, his breath reeking of alcohol.

But Josh was already reaching for his phone, dialling a number and pressing the call button. Still shocked by what he witnessed, Josh lifts the phone to his ear.

'Oh no ya don't!' The man sped up towards Josh, grabbing him by the collar of his coat and shaking him, begging 'Hang up! hang up, o-oi promise oi can explain!' his fidgety and violent shaking rocked the whole safety railing he pushed Josh up against, attempting to explain himself.

A cracking sound echoed throughout the apartment complex, the phone ringing statically.

Beep.

Beep.

Be-- 'Nine one one, what's your emergency?'

'Hello? is anyone there?' the feminine voice repeated.

'...'

Beep.

'Ugh fuck. My fucking head.' muttered josh, getting up from the concrete of the road. it was eerily quiet and empty as he looked around. 'Fuck, how long was I out?' He pressed his eyebrows, looking up at the broken rail-guard.

Two separate lights turned on behind Josh, causing him to dart in surprise as the car drove towards him 'Stop stop! wait!' He jumped away from the vehicle, letting out a calm sigh at the sight of it driving off.

'Holy. Fuck.' Josh struggled to maintain a working structure of words, glaring at the street lamp going through his chest. 'I-I'm a fucking ghost. I'm a ghost. I died! I . . . died?' He puzzled himself as if expecting something or someone to reply.

'Holy fuck in the sky, I'm dead.'